Horn control system



Dec; 14, 1943. J. WHITE HORN CONTROL SYSTEM Filed May 26, 1939 4 ralz 4.mm R Patented Dec. 14, 1943 HORN CONTROL SYSTEM Joe White, Anderson,1nd,, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, acorporation of Delaware Application May 26, 1939, Serial No.275,898

1 Claim. (CI. 177-7) This invention relates to systems of controllingautomobile horns, and more particularly to a system which provides forthe sounding of a relatively short, low blast in ordinary city drivingand for sounding as 10m; a blast as desired when driving above a certainspeed usually attained when driving outside of the city limits.

It is the aim of the present invention to provide a system of controlsuch that when accelerating the vehicle in order to pass another vehicleor for any other reason the horn may be sounded as long as desiredregardless of whether the driving is done within or outside the limitsthe city. In order to provide this control in some forms of my inventionI take advantage of 'thefact that the accelerator pedal is depressed toan extent further than required for normal city driving and I use thisadditional movement of the accelerator pedal to operate a switch whichdisables the device which provides for a short blast only of the horn.

In another form of my invention I provide an engin suction responsiveswitch which is actuated by the momentary decrease in engine intakesuction during acceleration to disable the device which provides for ashort blast only.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, referenc being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention areclearly shown.

In the drawing: 7

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are diagrams of various embodiments of myinvention.

Referring to Figure 1, a pair of horns 20 and 2| which are grounded atone terminal are connected with a relay contact 22 normally engaged bymovable contact 23 carried by armature 24 connected by wire 25 with arelay contact 26 norclosing of contacts 26 and 21, whereupon current mayflow to the horns through wire 29, armature 28, contacts 21 and 26, wire25, armature 24, contacts 23 and 22 through the horns 20 and 2| and backto the battery 20.

The horns 20 and 2| will sound so long as the horn button 3| is pressedand provided the contacts 22 and 22 remain closed. Contacts 22 and 28will remain closed only a brief instant after the closing of contacts 2and 21 for normal city driving. The opening of contacts 22 and 22 abrief instant alter the pressing of the horn button II is eflected bymeans of a circuit which includes a relay magnet winding 40 connectedwith wire 2!, contacts 4| and 43 normally bridged by a movable contact44 urged by a spring 4| against contacts 4| and 43. Movable contact 44is actuated by a plunger 42, the insulated upper end of which is engagedby accelerator pedal 48 when moved sumciently to accelerate the enginewhen driving in the city. Contact is connected by wire I0 with a contactI normally engaged by an air vane contact 52 which is grounded. The airvane I2 is in the path of circulation of air indicated by arrow 52 whichis impelled by the engine cooling fan 54. Therefore, when ,theaccelerator switch is closed and the air vane switch is closed thepressing of the horn button results in only a short blast of the horns.When it is desired to blow the horn to give a long warning signal whenpassing in city trafllc, the accelerator switch is opened due to thefact that the accelerator pedal must be pressed beyond normal citydriving position, to a position which will produce rapid acceleration.The opening of the accelerator switch will disable the relay winding 40so that the contacts 23 and 22 will remain closed and the horn may besounded as long as the horn button ii is pressed. When the vehicle speedexceeds a higher limit, for example 35 milesper hour, the air vane 52will be moved out of contact with the contact ii in order to interruptthe circuit of the relay magnet winding 40. Therefore, when drivingabove 35 miles per hour, for example, a long blast signal can be givenwhether or not the car is being accelerated.

Figure 2 shows a form of the invention in which a thermal switchresponsive to engine temperature has been substituted for the air switchof Figure 1. This thermal switch comprises normally closed contacts 6iand 62 and a bimetalllic element 63 carrying the contact 62. The blade63 is in thermal relation with the engine exhaust pipe 64. I takeadvantage of the fact that engine exhaust temperatures increasegenerally as the engine speed increases. Therefore, at somepredetermined speed such as 35 miles per hour, the thermostat blade 63will bend sufllciently to separate contact 62 from contact GI and thecircuit through the relay magnet winding 40 will be interrupted as inthe case of the use of an air switch.

' to engine acceleration and means responsive to finds its applicationon vehicles which are so constructed that it is impractical to installan air switch.

Figure 3 discloses the use of a switch responsive to engine intakesuction instead or the accelerator switch. 111 Figure 3 the contacts II, II and I3 replace contacts 4|, and 43 respectively of Figure 1. Thebridging contact 14 is insulatingly supported by a diaphragm 16 throughanonconducting rod 12. Diaphragm 16 provides a flexible wall for asuction chamber box 11 connected by pipe 18 with the engine intakemanitold. During normal driving in the city, the engine intake suctionis sufllcient to draw the diaphragm 16 upwardly against the action ofspring 15, so as to maintain contact 14 in engagement with contacts Hand I! so long as the engine is operating. During the acceleration ofthe car engine intake suction will decrease to such extent that thespring 15 will cause the contact 14 to be separated from contacts 1| andI3 thereby interrupting the circuit or the relay magnet winding 40. Inthis way the short blast means is disabled during accelerating so thatthe horns may be sounded as long as the horn button 3| is pressed.

The form shown in Figure 4 differs from that shown in Figure 1 by theinclusion or a fluid pressure operated switch responsive to theapplicationoi brakes in a hydraulic brake system. This switch comprisesa contact 8| connected with relay magnet winding 40, a contact 83.connected with accelerator switch contact ll and a movable bridgingcontact 84 normally urged by spring 85 into engagement with the othercontacts 8| and 83. A pressure fluidchamber is provided by housing Itand a flexible diaphragm ll. This chamber is connected with thehydraulic brake system. When the brakes are applied the diap ra O1 isflexed downwardLv and its motion is transmitted to the non-conductingrod ll through a contact 84 causing it to become separated irom thecontacts 8| and 83 thereby disabling the short blast means of thesystem. Therefore in the system shown in Figure 4 I have provided thecombination of means responsive to the application otbrakes, meansresponsive short blast means, wherebythe driver may sound the horn foras long a time as desired in case the brakes are applied or in case theengine is accelerated, or in case the speed of the vehicle has exceeded35 miles per hour.

While I have shown a fluid pressure switch operating in response to theapplication of hydraulic brakes, it. 'will be understood that thepresentiinvention contemplates the use 0! a switch actuated inresponseito the application of any kind of brake whether it bemechanical, electrical or fluid pressure actuated.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope oi speed and anotherot'which opens in response to the opening 01 the engine throttle valveto a certain extent.

JOE WHITE.

